The holiday season should be a time to spread good cheer, but do you feel spread a bit thin? Do you duck the bell ringer outside the grocery store? Dread all those holly-adorned envelopes in the mail asking for your “help”? Avoid answering the door altogether for fear it's another earnest solicitor?

It may be a case of donor fatigue. And you aren't alone. Sure, many of us ratchet up the charitable giving at year's end, be it to help worthy causes or score some extra tax deductions. But it's also the time when our bank accounts are stretched to the max. What you need is a plan.

Education consultant Leanna Harris admits she was overwhelmed by the phone calls and solicitors knocking on her door in November and December. Her solution? Spread her donations out over the year by crafting a simple charitable giving budget. “I wanted our giving to be intentional, not reactionary,” says Harris, who with husband Jamie sat down in 2006 to develop a game plan.

The couple noted each charity to which they were donating and sorted them (about 20 in all) into categories: culture, political, educational, religion, community. Harris recalls, “Then, we said, in a perfect world, how much do we want to give to each?” When the first total was over their budget, they reviewed each charity and donation, whittling it down to a manageable final figure.

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Says Harris, “Now, when a solicitor comes to our door, instead of panicking, I can say, 'We operate off a budget. We appreciate the work you do but we have allocated our donations for the year, thank you very much.'”

Harris' solution is one more of us should follow, says Sara Montgomery, senior manager for philanthropic services for Wells Fargo Private Bank. “People have to budget for bills, a mortgage, car payments, why not charity?” she says. “Having a budget or giving strategy in place helps you feel good about what you can say yes to versus what you have to say no to and allows you to give with conviction and joy.”

Montgomery counsels clients to either include a line item for charity in their household budgets or, as the Harrises did, create a simple spreadsheet noting to whom you want to give and how much. Not sure where to start? Experts say shoot for 1 percent of your annual total household income. So if your family earns $40,000 in a year, budget $400 to give away.

Think about the causes that are meaningful to you. Ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish and how will my donation be used?” Creating a budget gives you time to research charities to ensure they are not only legit, but will use your dollars wisely. Adds Montgomery, “It's also important to withhold some of your donations in a slush fund or miscellaneous column for those unexpected things that arise, like this year's Colorado flood relief.”

If you do create a charitable giving budget, note the times of year when you may have extra cash. Maybe you get a bonus in March or biannual stock dividends. Ask if your employer designates a certain period when the company will match your donation. This information can help guide you as to the best times financially for you to make a donation.

Review your budget about twice a year to see how much you are giving and if you are on track. Leanna Harris checks her charity spreadsheet through the year to ensure she makes her planned donations.

Spreading gifts out over the year is a win for both donor and recipient, says Alice Edwards, development associate at Families First, a Denver nonprofit dedicated to ending the cycle of child abuse and neglect through parenting support classes and a residential program for children.

“Of course, the main reason is cash flow. Budgeting for a midsize nonprofit like us is a puzzle. Monthly giving gives us a reliable base from which to work and reduces our stress level,” she says.

Kellie Fischer, vice president of Planned Giving for the Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation, agrees. “With any nonprofit, when dollars come in throughout the year versus just during the holidays, it helps minimize those end-of-the-year worries and concerns and helps us budget,” she says, adding, “If we know about a gift coming in, we can do a better job of thanking you and letting you know how (it is used.)”

While you may feel a bit like Scrooge not donating to every worthy cause this time of year, nonprofits say year-round giving actually does more good. Says Edwards, “What tends to happen is that around the holidays we are inundated with stuffed animals, but we go through 100 to 200 juice boxes and nutritious snack bars each month. If people only give during a crisis, it doesn't help those who have needs day in and day out, so keep the holiday spirit in your heart in February.”

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